Why it's important to understand Microsoft and its rivals have different missions

Microsoft, Apple, and Google are three of the world's most influential technology companies. According to many enthusiasts, they're bloodthirsty rivals.
But that's a bit extreme. Though they are rivals, it's more nuanced than that. Consumers can become emotionally invested in products and platforms, but to the companies, it's often "just business".

The intense personal allegiance to companies and their products has a name: fandom. Every company wants fans. The problem that Microsoft faces is the enormous breadth of its business — most fans are limited to a single product or category and few grasp the wide array of other products in Microsoft's portfolio. They see the company as ignoring what is best (from their perspective) without regard for what it means to the rest of the business.